Volume 69: The Piano Compositions

Volume 69 together with the previous one constitutes the whole of Kolberg’s compository output which has been preserved to the present day. This volume includes 104 complete compositions and 18 unfinished ones, presented in the form of fascimile. These are not all works composed by Kolberg; over a dozen of them are known only from titles mentioned in advertisements or reviews that appeared in the 19th century journals. The search for them was not successful both in Poland and abroad. Kolberg’s piano works are represented mainly by dances, including 42 Kujawiaks, 26 Mazurkas, several Polonaises, Polkas, Waltzes, and others, and also by such non-dance forms as etudes, fantasies, marches, sonatas and variations. In dances Kolberg referred to folk music, not citing it, but imitating its style. The introductions and final parts of some etudes seem to be inspired by Chopin’s and Liszt’s patterns. Of all the compositions inserted in the volume, 82 were already published in journals or as self-contained prints in the years 1836-1889; the other 22 are published here for the first time. The volume is completed by three reviews of some of Kolberg’s compositions by J. Sikorski and brief information about publications, reprinted from ’Biblioteka Warszawska’ issues from 1846, 1847, 1848, 1856 and ’Ruch Muzyczny’ issue from 1861.